THE MEANING OF THE WORD "HADES."

The Greek language contains two words which are used many times in the
New Testament--"Gehenna" and "Hades."

When the Greek New Testament was translated into English, one English
word'--"Hell"--was, very unfortunately, made to do service for the two
Greek words named above. "Hell" was used to express both the place of
future punishments, and also the abode of those, who having departed the
Earth-life, are existing as disembodied spirits, physically disembodied.

As was to be expected, confusion of ideas soon arose in consequence, and
ordinary readers became bewildered.

Such a passage is Acts ii. 31: "His soul was not left in Hell," and the
clause in the Apostles' Creed--"He descended into Hell"--instead of
being understood as expressing that Christ at His crucifixion entered
into Hades, seem to teach that He went into the place of
punishment--Hell; where He never went.


THE EARLY-CHRISTIAN CONCEPTION OF HADES.

The foregoing conclusion is well-nigh unassailable, in view of the fact
that the early Christians believed in an Intermediate State, which they,
like the Jews and Greeks, called "Hades."

Justin Martyr (A.D. 147) declares that "those who say that there is no